The Bet
by roseami16
Summary: Are Edo-Lucy and Edo-Natsu's relationship really just a parntership, or is there more to it that even they care to admit? No one in the guild seems to think anything will happen between the two, but Mira seems to think otherwise and looks to have other plans for the two. Staged a while after the Edolas Ark. Lucy A./Natsu D. Edo-Lucy/Edo-Natsu
1. Chapter 1

Edolas

Fairy Tail Guild

It had taken some weeks to help fix up the city, but they had done it.

Life without magic was something else indeed; it was difficult, but manageable just like the earth landers had said before they had left. Everything was even better now that they were ALLOWED to have a guild; they didn't have to constantly be on the move. They didn't have to run; they were all safe and more importantly needed. They were allowed to station their guild in the Royal City and while some people were still hesitant about the whole idea of the guild, hesitation was quickly put aside, especially when the guild had done nothing but help fix up the city. Even the girls had begun to help after a few days of merely criticizing the jobs the boys were doing "wrong".

Almost everyone had begun to get used to this new peaceful life.

Almost everyone,

"Has anyone seen Natsu anywhere?" Gray cried, as he looked frantically around the guild for the boy.

"Natsu?" Juvia blinked,

"Come to think of it I haven't seen him for a while." She pondered, jumping out of her seat only at the invasion of space as Gray drew closer.

"Nothing ever gets past lovely Juvia-Chan~" Gray sang, his eyes now in the shape of hearts having heard his loves voice.

Juvia eye twitched in annoyance,

"Would you...GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!" Juvia roared, her foot striking him up to the air.

"Idiot..." Levy commented, before turning to Lucy.

"Well blonde?"

"Well WHAT pipsqueak?" Lucy glared in annoyance, she wasn't sure why but every time this girl opened her blabbering mouth it only seemed to annoy the hell out of her.

Levy, who shared her distaste for the other, merely rolled her eyes.

"You're his PARTNER aren't you?"

"Thanks for stating the obvious shorty." Lucy huffed, levy growling at the insult of her size.

"Well then if it's so obvious GET-A-CLUE!.. I-D-I-O-T!"

"What'd you call me?!" Lucy stood before her, both looking dangerously at the other in a sudden standoff.

"I think!...What Levy was trying to say was that as his partner you should know of his whereabouts" Wendy stepped in, preferring they skip over the fighting for once.

"Tch...What am I? His master? I don't have to know where he is ALL the time." She grumbled, taking a seat back down before the counter of the bar.

"Well with the way you treat him you might as well be." Jet mumbled under breath, taking a swing of his drink.

Lucy's eyes narrowed towards Jet, not having caught what he had said but having heard something come out of his mouth,

"He's probably just off crying and sulking." She finished, choosing to ignore his hushed sentence.

"Don't be so hard on him Lucy, after all, not having magic anymore took a harder blow on Natsu then all of us." Mirajane commented, as she continued wiping the glasses from behind the counter..

"T-true...without magic…N-Natsu's car is useless." Mirajane's brother added.

Lucy's annoyance subsided thinking about this for a moment. It was true after all. Her partner loved that car and without any substitute fuel source that car wasn't going to be working anytime soon.

"About time you figured it out." Levy sneered, this only bringing up Lucy's earlier annoyance, slamming her hand down on the counter as she stood up.

"I don't have time for this..." Lucy grumbled, as she pushed past.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Levy frowned.

Lucy turned her head back, merely sticking her tongue out at the girl in response.

"None of your business midget now if you don't mind I'll be out!" Lucy huffed, before slamming the door to the guild behind her.

"Midget?! Why that hard brained little-"

"Now Levy...there is only so much profanity I can take for one day." Cana interjected, having heard enough of their rude remarks.

"What was that about anyways?" Jet blinked, looking after where the girl had stomped off.

Mirajane merely giggled as the others turned to look at her with confused expressions.

"You know what that was about Mira?" Gray asked, curious to know what she knew.

"Oh don't worry Lucy just went to go comfort him." She smiled brightly,

She always loved seeing those two and their blooming romance.

Levy rolled her eyes at this, knowing exactly what Mira was thinking.

"Don't get ahead of yourself ...they may be partners but no way Natsu would fall for a brute gorilla like her." Levy chuckled, the image of Lucy as a gorilla enough to send her into a sudden laughing fit.

Mira frowned, watching as the others joined into the mockery of the two ever becoming a couple.

"N-no offense to Lucy or anything...b-but Levy does have a point." Elf-man spoke up, his gaze locked on the floor.

"Elf man?! You two?" Mira pouted, seeing even her brother go against her.

"Well think about it...why would crybaby Natsu EVER fall in love with the girl who torchers and orders him around" Jet reasoned,

"She practically has 100 different techniques JUST to torcher the guy." Droy added.

"Not to mention why would Lucy pick a guy like NATSU of all people? Their complete opposites...it be like me actually dating gray." Juvia finished, already shivering at the thought.

"Juvia-Chan how horrible!" Gray whined, reappearing beside Juvia's side.

"Would..you DROP the "chan" and…while you're at it of course…STRIP DOWN A FEW!" Juvia yelled, punching gray straight up once more not bothering to see where he ended up.

"Come now Juvia haven't you ever heard of opposites attract?" Mira argued,

"That's too MUCH opposite." Levy said, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye at the laughing fit she had received.

"There not perfect for each other like us~" Bisca giggled, referring to Alzack and her lovely relationship to which Alzack grinned, hugging her closer to him in response.

"Biscaaaa that's not fair…no one can compare to our relationship after all~"

Levy stuck her tongue out in disgust as the two continued their love fest, the others merely turning away from the two.

"In…a way those two do have a point." Wendy agreed,

"I mean could you honestly ever see Natsu and Lucy like Bisca and Alzack?" Droy added.

"THINK about it...those two have been partners for a while and are always doing such subtle caring things for the other..." Mira tried once more, before anymore doubt could be added onto the couple.

"Lucy worries for Natsu, remember when she found earth land Natsu and thought she was OUR Natsu...didn't you see how strongly she embraced him?" Mira's eyes sparkled, remembering the scene.

"There friends Mirajane, friends worry just as much, and he was gone for days." Cana reasoned,

"And with everything that was going on...she could have been thinking the worse." Gray frowned, having been thinking the very same thing when he had failed to come back.

"Not to mention that after that hug she proceeded on using one of her torcher techniques" Droy chuckled, remembering it all too well.

Mira sighed,

"You all are just in denial."

"We're in denial because it's just not likely a possibility." Wendy shrugged, not any of them about to think otherwise.

"Oh? You all seem quite sure." Mira smiled suddenly,

"That's right! No way in HELL those two will end up together." Levy snorted,

"Would you be willing to bet on that?" Mira smirked, having now caught all of their attentions.

"If we're talking jewels here I'll bet you anything!" Levy grinned, her interest now peaked.

"I'll have a piece of that!" Jet chimed in, the whole guild now taking full interest of the twos relationship.

"Mira...I don't think Lucy and Natsu would like this." Cana frowned, uncomfortable as the guild began placing their bets.

Levy rolled her eyes,

"Who says there going to find out?" She said, as if that was the most obvious answer.

"You can't expect me to NOT tell them? I will not lie." Cana said, turning her head away.

"You're not lying your just not mentioning it." Jet explained.

"I still don't like it..." She replied quietly,

"Just keep your lady like little self out of our business you got that?" Levy huffed, crossing her arms in annoyance before grinning,

"No one's going to keep me from making easy money."

"We'll just see about that won't we?" Mira smiled her face one of pure cute innocence.

Elf-man felt the beats of sweat roll down his check at the sight of her face.

"Onee-chans up to something…"

"You just figured that out?" Wendy sighed, placing her bet, figuring it would just be easier to go along with it then question it.


	2. Chapter 2

Natsu sighed miserably, sitting close to the once floating water, which now flowed gently below the ground.

Things were different, not bad, but different. Natsu wasn't sure if he was really ok with any of this. Maybe if he at least had his car things would be just fine, but he didn't and that was what killed him.

He looked at his reflection and let out another heavy sigh.

"Now I really am just useless and weak." He mumbled under breath, hitting the reflection of himself away with his hand.

A shadow covered over his eyes seeing the reflection begin to take form again; the reflection of a timid, helpless, cowardly boy staring right back at him.

"Oi that better not be self-loathing I hear coming out of your mouth." Lucy glared, standing behind him dangerously.

Natsu flinched at the sound of her voice, quickly standing to his feet.

"L- Lucy-San!"

"About time I found you..next time go someplace I'll actually look instead of making me waste my time." She huffed, displeased at having wasted so much time looking for him.

"S-s-sorry! It won't happen again!" He apologized, bowing repeatingly.

"Would you quit bowing!" she hit him, too annoyed to really hold back, Natsu's face being planted into the dirt.

He twitched, merely muffling a dirt full apology in response as he lay on the ground

Lucy sighed, seeing the meek pink haired boy shakingly stand back to his feet, coughing out the dirt he had shoved in his mouth.

"N-not that I'm...not happy to see you..or..telling you where you can't or can go...but what are you doing here?" He managed to ask, through a coughing fit, making sure to keep the hacking of dirt away from Lucy.

"Isn't it obvious? I said I was looking for you didn't I?" She scoffed, waiting impatiently for him to finish.

"M-me?" Natsu blinked, finally managing to calm down from his fit.

"Is your name Natsu?" She arched a brow at his response.

He blushed slightly in embarrassment.

"We'll...yeah, it is." He replied back lamely, to which Lucy's glare only darkened.

Natsu, who saw this, quickly interjected, before she could speak; sensing her annoyance rise.

"Y-you see what I meant to say was!..what I meant to ask was..Why were you looking for me?"

"Hm?" She blinked, looking almost taken back by the question.

She didn't really understand why herself, but everyone had kept bugging her about Natsu's whereabouts, making her think of his pitiful, self-loathing form.

She had to find him. It was what she had decided to do, but now that she had...what?

"I said..Why were you looking for me?" Natsu asked again, bringing her out of her thoughts, looking just as confused.

He could have sworn he had seen Lucy begin to blush.

"C-Can't I check on my partner every once in a while?!" She growled defensively, surprising Natsu by her sudden outburst.

"N-no!... I mean.." He smiled nervously, stumbling back as she drew close.

"No?" She glowered,

"What do you mean no?"

"W-What I meant to say was!-"

Without waiting for his explanation she reached out; grasping the collar of his jacket.

"This better be good.." She warned.

"L-Lucy-san wait! I wasn't telling you that you couldn't I-" Natsu stumbled, losing his footing, having backed up too many times from Lucy drawing close that he fell back.

Lucy, not expecting the sudden weight in change, found herself falling forward. As she tried to regain her balance for the two of them, Natsu frantically made a grab for her with his other hand.

He had thought it be easier for Lucy to pull him back if she had a better grasp of him, but when he snatched her arm and pulled, she lost the little balance she had and fell back into the shallow water; falling on top of him in the process.

She crushed the air from him as she landed, taking only a small moment of time before she lifted herself off him; sitting up right

She grimaced over the slight pain,

"N-Natsu..are you ok?"

"Y-yeah" he coughed, taking in a gush of air as she lifted herself off him.

"These little rocks in the water...hurt a lot more then you'd think when you hit your head against them." He continued, trying to regain his vision seeing so many Lucy's begin to take form above him. He had hit his head hard it seemed.

She sighed in relief,

"Well maybe if you wouldn't have panicked and had just let me pull you in instead of making another grab for me-"

"That's nice Lucy's-sans~" he interrupted, merely smiling up to the many girls he was now seeing.

"...Did I say I was done talking?!" She pulled at his cheeks, irritated at his interruption, stretching them as far apart from his face as she could.

"IM MORY IM MORY IM MORY!" He cried over and over, squirming under her trying to get away.

"Your...what?" She blinked, releasing his cheeks.

"I said I'm sorry!" He cried out, massaging his stinging cheeks.

Lucy watched him before sighing once more, this time out of exhaustion from dealing with him.

"You're hopeless Natsu..."

"...sorry.." He mumbled softly, lowering his gaze from hers.

Now that he thought about it, sorry was all he ever really said and all he was ever GOING to say now.

Without his car, he really FELT hopeless. He wasn't brave like Lucy or strong like her, so what good was he really now to her as a partner or any of the other guild members?

Lucy softened as she glanced once more his way, seeing his empty sad expression.

What was she doing? She was supposed to be here cheering UP Natsu, not putting him more down then he already was.

"Natsu..."

Her voice brought him out of his thoughts as he looked up to her.

"Hm?"

She smiled softly at him, putting a hand a top his head.

"I'm sorry." She apologized, surprising Natsu.

"Mirajane explained that you might be having a more harder time with all the change going on...and I guess me calling you names...and hitting you around doesn't do much help."

He looked to her in awe, not having expected herself to explain at all, and to actually admit something like this. She was always surprising him. One minute she was beating the crap out of him, the next she was pushing him; encouraging him, defending him, using him as a test dummy for her many torcher techniques and now she was apologizing? What was next?

He always knew she had some problems when it came to expressing her real feelings, but that didn't mean Natsu understood what she was trying to say all the time. If anything she only continued to baffle him more and more. Which was the real Lucy? The tough one who everyone feared (including himself) or the kind scared one that only seemed to come out rarely?

Before the earth landers had come and changed everything, he had seen this other rare side. Only him. She was keeping a tough front for everyone including himself, but he had caught her. Seen it, perhaps by accident, but he had still seen it.

Her tears.

Her scared expression.

"Lucy-San..." Her name slipped out, his eyes widening, realizing he had said her name out loud.

"What?" She blinked, not entirely understanding why he looked so flustered.

"O-Oh! n-nothing! I'm just..happy..that uhh...you were worried about me...so much."

"I never said I was worried...I said I was "sorry" those are two different things." She pouted, her own cheeks reddening.

He laughed then taking her hand as they both stood from the water.

"Right well..still...I feel a bit better...I know it's going to take me awhile to get used to this new change and all but...I don't want to worry Lucy-San and everyone, so I promise I'll try to lighten up...and give this newly changed world a chance." He smiled, feeling a bit of his gloom from before lift.

"You don't have to get used to this new changed world Natsu."

"I don't...understand?" He blinked, confused.

"You don't HAVE to get used to this changed world because we're going to get your car to work again. Magic or no magic."

His eyes widened at what she stating. It was impossible, there was no way and yet she was actually...considering.

"Lucy-San...you don't have to for my sake-"

She placed both her hands a top his shoulder then, looking at him hard.

"It will WORK Natsu."

His eyes teared, as her own eyes burned with determination. There was no doubt in her eyes. No hesitation. She was absolutely sure; confident.

"I promise." She assured him, giving his shoulders a slight squeeze before letting him go.

Smiling through his tears, he gave her a nod and wiped his tears away. He followed her back to the guild, his darkened mood now far behind him. He trusted Lucy, and knew she would continue to try, she wouldn't give up hope and neither would he. She was his hope. His partner.

His twisted, confusing, terrorizing, good hearted partner.


End file.
